Data processing system and data processing method

Abstract

A user management apparatus adds a tag in which route information is described to a packet received from a user and transmits the packet to a data transfer device. The data transfer device transfers the packet to one of data processing devices under control and other data transfer devices based on the route information included in the received packet. The data processing device performs processing of a service function for data included in the received packet. A communication management apparatus calculates a route of a service chain necessary for implementing the service requested by the user and transmits route information to the user management apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A data processing system comprising:
 a user management apparatus configured to manage information of a user requesting use of a service, and transfer control of a packet received from the user;   one or more data processing devices configured to perform data processing of a service function for data included in the packet;   one or more data transfer devices configured to control the one or more data processing devices under control;   a communication management apparatus configured to calculate a route of a service chain for implementing the service requested by the user, transmit route information of the route to the user management apparatus, and update a routing table registered in one or more first data transfer devices among the one or more data transfer devices based on the route calculation, the one or more first data transfer devices being on the route of the service chain; and   an external transmission apparatus configured to return, to the user, a processed packet, the processed packet being the packet that has undergone data processes of the service chain,   wherein the user management apparatus is further configured to add to the packet received from the user, a tag in which the route information is described, and transmit the packet to the one or more first data transfer devices on the route of the service chain,   wherein the one or more data transfer devices are further configured to transfer the packet to the one or more data processing devices or another data transfer device on the route of the service chain based on the route information included in the tag and the routing table, and   wherein the one or more data processing devices are configured to return the processed packet to a transmission source of the packet among the one or more data transfer devices.   
     
     
         10 . The data processing system according to  claim 9 , wherein the user management apparatus comprises:
 a user management circuit configured to manage the information of the user, issue a user ID, and notify the user of the user ID;   a tag generation circuit configured to generate the tag;   a tag addition circuit configured to add the tag to the packet received from the user;   a packet transmission circuit configured to transmit the packet with the tag to the one or more first data transfer devices on the route of the service chain;   a QoS controller configured to decide, based on the information of the user managed by the user management circuit, priority of transfer of the packet for the user amongst packets for a plurality of users; and   a data management circuit configured to transfer the packet received from the user to the tag addition circuit at a timing according to the priority,   wherein the user ID is added to the packet received from the user.   
     
     
         11 . The data processing system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 before service use by the user, the user management apparatus is configured to transmit a user-specific parameter for processing of the service function to the one or more first data processing devices on the route of the service chain based on the route information; and   after an end of service use, the user management apparatus is configured to recover the user-specific parameter from the one or more first data processing devices.   
     
     
         12 . The data processing system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 in response to a new service function being requested for implementing the service requested by the user, the communication management apparatus is configured to add the new service function to a data processing device, among the one or more data processing devices, under operation stop, and after the end of service use, delete the new service function from the data processing device used to implement the service.   
     
     
         13 . The data processing system according to  claim 10 , further comprising a storage device configured to temporarily store the packet received from the user, wherein the data management circuit comprises:
 a user selection circuit configured to selectively extract the packet from the storage device based on information of the priority;   a user determination circuit configured to determine whether the packet received from the user has the same user ID as a user ID of a second packet that is currently being output to the tag addition circuit; and   an output selection circuit configured to selectively output, to the tag addition circuit, a packet output from one of the user determination circuit and the user selection circuit, and   the user determination circuit transfers the packet received from the user to one of the storage device and the output selection circuit based on a result of determining whether the packet received from the user has the same user ID as the user of the second packet that is currently being output to the tag addition circuit.   
     
     
         14 . The data processing system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 before service use by the user, the user management apparatus is configured to transmit a user-specific parameter for processing of the service function to the one or more first data processing devices on the route of the service chain based on the route information; and   after an end of service use, the user management apparatus is configured to recover the user-specific parameter from the one or more first data processing devices.   
     
     
         15 . The data processing system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 in response to a new service function being requested for implementing the service requested by the user, the communication management apparatus is configured to add the new service function to a data processing device, among the one or more data processing devices, under operation stop, and after the end of service use, delete the new service function from the data processing device used to implement the service.   
     
     
         16 . The data processing system according to  claim 13 , wherein the data management circuit comprises a plurality of memory controllers each provided by the user determination circuit, the user selection circuit, and the output selection circuit, and further comprising:
 a packet distribution circuit configured to decide the memory controller that is a distribution destination of the packet received from the user and output the packet received from the user to the decided memory controller; and   an output controller configured to select, in accordance with a predetermined control method, a packet output from the output selection circuit of each of the plurality of memory controllers, and output the packet to the tag addition circuit.   
     
     
         17 . The data processing system according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 before service use by the user, the user management apparatus is configured to transmit a user-specific parameter for processing of the service function to the one or more first data processing devices on the route of the service chain based on the route information; and   after an end of service use, the user management apparatus is configured to recover the user-specific parameter from the one or more first data processing devices.   
     
     
         18 . The data processing system according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 in response to a new service function being requested for implementing the service requested by the user, the communication management apparatus is configured to add the new service function to a data processing device, among the one or more data processing devices, under operation stop, and after the end of service use, delete the new service function from the data processing device used to implement the service.   
     
     
         19 . The data processing system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 before service use by the user, the user management apparatus is configured to transmit a user-specific parameter for processing of the service function to the one or more first data processing devices on the route of the service chain based on the route information; and   after an end of service use, the user management apparatus is configured to recover the user-specific parameter from the one or more first data processing devices.   
     
     
         20 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 in response to a new service function being requested for implementing the service requested by the user, the communication management apparatus is configured to add the new service function to a data processing device, among the one or more data processing devices, under operation stop, and after the end of service use, delete the new service function from the data processing device used to implement the service.   
     
     
         21 . The data processing system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 in response to a new service function being requested for implementing the service requested by the user, the communication management apparatus is configured to add the new service function to a data processing device, among the one or more data processing devices, under operation stop, and after the end of service use, delete the new service function from the data processing device used to implement the service.   
     
     
         22 . A data processing method comprising:
 transmitting, by a user management apparatus, information of a user applying for a service to a communication management apparatus and an external transmission apparatus;   calculating, by the communication management apparatus, a route of a service chain for implementing the service requested by the user, based on service information included in the information of the user, and transmitting route information to the user management apparatus, and updating a routing table registered in a data transfer device on the route of the service chain calculated based on a result of route calculation;   adding, by the user management apparatus, a tag in which the route information is described to a packet received from the user and transmitting the packet to one or more first data transfer devices of the one or more data transfer devices on the route of the service chain;   transferring, by the data transfer device, the packet to the one or more first data processing devices or another data transfer devices on the route of the service chain based on the route information included in the tag and the routing table managed by a self-device;   performing, by the data processing device, processing of a service function for data included in the packet to generate a processed packet, and returning the processed packet to a transmission source of the packet among the one or more data transfer devices; and   returning, by the external transmission apparatus to the user, a processed packet.   
     
     
         23 . The data processing method according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 transmitting, before service use by the user, by the user management apparatus, a user-specific parameter necessary for processing of the service function to the data processing device on the route of the service chain based on the route information; and   recovering, after an end of service use, by the user management apparatus, the user-specific parameter from the first data processing device.